FARMER-TO-FARMER FIELD DAYS

Join fellow farmers as well as farm interns, students and ag employees as we gather for educational field visits across California to share best practices, sustainability techniques and glean on-farm know-how from the experience of our peers. Attendance is free.

This is a project of The Farmers Guild, CAFF, the Grange School of Adaptive​Agriculture & The UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program.

FARMER-TO-FARMER PROGRAMS SUPPORTED BY:

2018 FIELD DAYS:

WEDNESDAY, NOV 28

FROG'S LEAP WINERYRutherford, CA

FOCUS: Organic & Dry Farming Wine Grapes

Join us for the next farmer-to-farmer field day at Frog’s Leap Winery where we’ll explore the techniques behind organic and dry farming grapes. An innovator in Napa County, Frogs Leap has pursued and exemplified principles of organic grape growing and dry farming for more than 25 years, with a focus on quality of product as well as the health of their land. Join viticulturist Frank Leeds for a tour of the vineyard and a practical exploration of their climate-smart approach to growing grapes more holistically.

This event is FREE and open to all farmers, farmworkers, interns and students of Ag. RSVP encouraged. Farm tour and conversation will conclude with a casual networking potluck happy hour.

WEDNESDAY, NOV 14

LAGUNA FARM​Sebastopol, CA

Do you want to extend the season of your farm? Do you have markets or a CSA requesting bigger and more diverse bounties during those off months? At this Farmer-to-Farmer field day, we'll gather to explore how to stretch those fall crops into winter, how to get an early spring start and even how to protect crops during the blazing peak of summer.

This event is FREE and open to all farmers, farmworkers, interns and students of Ag. RSVP encouraged. Farm tour and conversation will conclude with a casual networking potluck happy hour.

SPECIAL: this field day will provide English/Spanish translation, so please share this invitation with Spanish-speaking farmers, field crews and agricultural aspirants.

FRIDAY, NOV 2

NAMU FARMWinters, CA

FOCUS: ​Seed Production & Growing Asian Vegetables

1 – 5 PM6446 Putah Creek Ln, Winters, CA

Kristyn Leach of Namu Farm raises heritage Korean vegetables on two acres in Winters, CA, taking inspiration from traditional Korean farming methods. She grows lettuce, napa cabbage, Korean chili peppers and more, using mostly open-pollinated heirloom seeds that have been saved and passed down for generations. She partners with Kitazawa Seed Company, a 101-year-old Asian-American-owned business specializing in Asian vegetables, to preserve and distribute heirloom seed varieties. Namu Farm is also known for supplying organic produce to San Francisco's Namu Gaji, an upscale American restaurant with Asian flavors.

This tour will focus on seed production and variety improvement for small scale farms.

This event is FREE and open to all farmers, farmworkers, farm interns and students of Ag. Farm tour and conversation will conclude with a casual networking potluck happy hour. Please bring something to share.

SATURDAY, OCT 20

CAPAY HILLS ORCHARDEsparto, CA

Farmer veteran Brian Paddock of Capay Hills Orchard will lead a tour of his organic almond orchard. Join us for a lively discussion of nut tree production and marketing, followed by a potluck

This event is FREE and open to all farmers, farmworkers, farm interns and students of Ag. RSVP encouraged. Farm tour and conversation will conclude with a casual networking potluck happy hour. Feel free to bring something to share.

TUESDAY, SEPT 11

TABLE TOP FARMSPt. Reyes Station, CA

FOCUS: Farm stands and production for other direct market channels

Farm stands offer a direct sales outlet for your farm goods, cutting out middlemen, reducing labor costs and bringing your customers closer to the farm. At our next Farmer-to-Farmer Field Day, we'll visit Table Top Farms where they've succuessful managed farm stands in Pt Reyes for several years. Come talk shop and trade tips with fellow farmers about farm stands as well as other direct market channels that increase revenue, cut down on costs and provide convenience to your customers. We'll explore not just the marketing involved, but how these sales outlets affect production, from crop selection to harvest.

MONDAY, SEPT 17

SOLIDARITY FARMPauma Valley, CA

FOCUS: Climate Smart Farming

Join us at Solidarity Farm in North County to explore climate smart farming practices. After a year of record-breaking heat in San Diego, farmers are learning to adapt and fight back--in the case of Solidarity Farm, doing so as part of California's new Healthy Soils Initiative and together with the Resource Conservation District and NRCS. Come explore reduced tillage, water conservation, hedgerows and more. And how farms can effectively communicate their sustainability efforts to customers and the public alike.

Ben Hartman’s The Lean Farm has inspired many farmers to find efficiencies on their farms and increase profits without increasing their work. This workshop will address the principles of lean farming with a focus on the practical steps you can take to increase efficiency. Fortunate Farm is producing mixed vegetables on the Mendocino coast and a large amount of compost. This workshop will focus on how to design your farm layout, whole farm systems, and things to consider when planning and mapping out production space.